S: Daddy! Thalia took my markers!
Me: Can you let her play with them? Look how happy she is.
S: But I'm coloring and I need those colors! See, she's trying to get more markers!
Me: Do you really think she wants your markers?
S: Yes!
Me: Let's experiment. Quietly, go play with the blocks over there, and we'll see if she keeps playing with the markers.
Sophia slips away to play with the blocks. Two seconds later, Thalia toddles over excitedly to join her. The cutest thing ever.
Me: Do you still think she wants to play with the markers?
S: No, she wants to play with the blocks.
Me: Is that what she really wants?
S: No, she wants to play with me.
Me: Yes, she's surrounded by all her wonderful toys that she could play with, but they're no fun without you! Isn't that wonderful? Look how cute she is the way she looks up to you and wants to play with you!
S: Yes, she's really cute! But I still want to color...
Right. I get it. They're four years apart and big sister needs her space right now. No problem.
They really do get along playing together most of the time. I'm just glad for this opportunity Sophia has to recognize how adored she is by her little sister. I hope they continue to appreciate the lifetime value of sisterhood by having a blast building fun, healthy, non-combative memories each day, with or without toys, or our minimal coercion. I suspect that it's a special relationship that will foster itself as long as we parents respect each child's desire for personal space when she needs it.
And now Thalia is pulling books off the shelf, which is my cue to stop writing and go play with my kids...
